While several states in the United States faced one of their worst winter storms in history over the weekend, parts of Europe and the United Kingdom were bombarded by the promised forecast of the arctic snow bomb last week, and with its arrival, unprecedented snowfall blanketed Germany and the UK on Saturday and Sunday, causing widespread travel disruption for thousands of people.
Airports across the UK and Germany fell into chaos as their tarmacs turned to black ice and were covered in snow on Sunday, prompting many airlines to cancel flights across both countries, creating havoc for passengers trying to get back home after the long holiday break.
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Freezing Rain and Heavy Snow Brings Air Travel to a Standstill, Causing Thousands of Flight Delays and Cancelations
Thousands of passengers at airports were left stranded in the UK and Germany on Sunday as extreme weather barreled through, creating poor visibility and dangerous conditions on tarmacs in both countries for airline companies such as Finnair, easyJet, Ryanair, Emirates, Icelandair, TUI, British Airways, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, SAS, and TAP Air Portugal, to name a few; all grounding their flights.
Heavy and continuous snowfall pelted Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, and Birmingham Airports in the UK, while in Germany, Frankfurt, Munich, and Stuttgart Airports faced significant challenges caused by the Arctic snow bomb, causing hundreds of flights to be suspended and canceled on Sunday.
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Rail and Ferry Services Across the UK and Germany Suspended; Highways Are Covered With Black Ice
Travel disruptions were not just limited to air travel; rail and ferry services in Germany and the UK, including Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England, faced exponential delays and cancelations.
The National Highway has issued several warnings throughout the UK for dangerous road and highway conditions, with low to no visibility, black ice, and heavy snowfall. At times, major blizzard conditions caused a travel nightmare, numerous accidents, and long delays for commuters.
The Met Office in the UK and Germany’s meteorological office have issued snow and ice warnings, and are urging people to stay home and not attempt to walk or drive on roads and highways during the extreme weather conditions and avoid traveling altogether.
The Arctic blast began on January 1st and was forecast to last seven full days, unleashing icy, wintry conditions. Amber alerts have been issued by both agencies since its conception, and are set to remain in place as the extreme weather continues to pummel Europe and the UK with below-freezing temperatures, icy rain, and layers of snow throughout the UK and Europe.
Airlines, rail services, and ferry service companies urge passengers and commuters to contact their respective providers to see if their flights, trains, or ferries have been delayed or canceled before taking to the dangerous roads and risking their lives while the extreme weather remains in the area through tomorrow.
